Section 95
Overview
Doctrine and Covenants Section 95, delivered by Joseph Smith in June 1833, serves as a divine reprimand to the early Latter-day Saints in Kirtland, Ohio, for failing to commence building the 'house of the Lord' (the Kirtland Temple). The text frames this delay as a 'very grievous sin' and establishes a direct causal link between the Saints' obedience in constructing this physical edifice and their spiritual standing. The revelation asserts that God chastens those He loves to forgive their sins, but introduces a stark condition in verse 12: if the Saints do not keep the commandments, the love of the Father will not continue with them, and they will walk in darkness. The text outlines the purpose of the temple as a place to 'endow' chosen individuals with 'power from on high,' drawing a direct parallel to the biblical apostles tarrying in Jerusalem. Furthermore, the revelation provides specific architectural dimensions (55 by 65 feet) and functional designations for the building's inner courts. The text concludes with unique Christological titles, referring to Jesus Christ as 'Son Ahman,' 'Alphus,' and 'Omegus.'
Key Figures
- Jesus Christ (The claimed speaker of the text, identified as Lord of Sabaoth, Son Ahman, Alphus, and Omegus, who issues the commands and chastisements)
- The Father (Referenced as the source of the promise of power and whose love is conditional upon obedience)
- The Saints/Apostles (The recipients of the revelation, who are rebuked for their grievous sin of omission and commanded to build the temple)
- Three Appointed Men (Individuals to be ordained to receive the specific architectural plans for the temple)
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Conditional Love of the Father
Assertion
The continued love of God the Father is contingent upon the believer's strict obedience to His commandments.
Evidence from Text
If you keep not my commandments, the love of the Father shall not continue with you, therefore you shall walk in darkness. (D&C 95:12)
Evangelical Comparison
In D&C 95:12, the text explicitly states that the Father's love will 'not continue' with the Saints if they fail to keep His commandments (specifically, the command to build the temple). This establishes a works-based framework for maintaining God's affection and spiritual light. In stark contrast, Evangelical Christianity, rooted in Sola Fide and Sola Gratia, teaches that God's love for His elect is unconditional, eternal, and secured entirely by the finished work of Jesus Christ. Romans 8:38-39 declares that absolutely nothing 'will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.' While God may discipline His children (Hebrews 12:6), His fundamental love and their status as justified children are never revoked due to a failure to perform works.
Temple-Dependent Spiritual Endowment
Assertion
A specific, physical building constructed to exact specifications is required for God to endow His chosen leaders with spiritual power.
Evidence from Text
I gave unto you a commandment that you should build a house, in the which house I design to endow those whom I have chosen with power from on high (D&C 95:8)
Evangelical Comparison
The text asserts that the 'endowment of power from on high'—a parallel to the Pentecost experience—is contingent upon the construction of a physical temple in Kirtland. The Lord states He 'designs' to use this specific house to grant this power. In Evangelical theology, the New Covenant abolishes the need for a physical, localized temple for the presence and power of God. According to 1 Corinthians 6:19, the believer's body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2) occurred in a common upper room, demonstrating that God's power is poured out based on faith in Christ, not the construction of esoteric architecture.
Chastisement as a Means of Forgiveness
Assertion
God chastens believers specifically so that their sins may be forgiven and to prepare a way for deliverance.
Evidence from Text
whom I love I also chasten that their sins may be forgiven, for with the chastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance (D&C 95:1)
Evangelical Comparison
D&C 95:1 links divine chastisement directly to the forgiveness of sins ('chasten that their sins may be forgiven'). This implies an economy where human suffering or endurance of divine rebuke plays a meritorious or necessary role in expiating sin. Evangelical theology maintains that forgiveness of sins is achieved 'once for all' through the shedding of Christ's blood (Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 10:10). While God does discipline those He loves (Hebrews 12:6), this discipline is for the purpose of sanctification (producing the peaceful fruit of righteousness) and relational correction, not to secure or finalize the forgiveness of sins, which was already accomplished at the cross.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text fundamentally diverges from Evangelicalism by making God the Father's love conditional upon human obedience (building a temple) and requiring a physical structure to mediate the Holy Spirit's power.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between D&C 95 and Evangelical Christianity is severe, primarily concerning the nature of God's love, the doctrine of justification, and pneumatology. D&C 95:12 explicitly posits a conditional framework for the Father's love: 'If you keep not my commandments, the love of the Father shall not continue with you.' This violates the Evangelical understanding of Sola Gratia and the biblical doctrine of eternal security, which asserts that God's agape love for His elect is unmerited, unconditional, and unbreakable (Romans 8:38-39). By tying God's continued love to the physical labor of constructing a building, the text enforces a works-righteousness paradigm. Furthermore, the text asserts that a physical temple is a prerequisite for God to 'endow' His people with power from on high (v. 8). This contradicts the New Testament revelation that the veil was torn, the physical temple system was rendered obsolete, and the believer's body is now the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). In Evangelical theology, the Holy Spirit is given freely and fully at the moment of regeneration by faith alone, not mediated through esoteric architecture or secondary post-salvation temple rituals.
For All Ages
Imagine if your parents told you, 'We will only keep loving you if you build a perfect treehouse exactly the way we say. If you don't, we will stop loving you and leave you in the dark.' That would be very scary, right? In this text, it says God's love will stop if the people don't obey Him and build a special building called a temple. But the Bible teaches that God's love for His children is like a perfect parent's love—it never stops. Because Jesus already paid for all our mistakes on the cross, God loves us unconditionally. We don't have to build anything to earn His love or get the Holy Spirit.
Friction Points
Sola Gratia / Eternal Security
Asserts that the Father's love will not continue with believers if they fail to keep commandments.
Sola Fide
Ties the forgiveness of sins to enduring chastisement, and spiritual standing to the physical work of building a temple.
Universal Priesthood / Pneumatology
Requires a localized, physical temple to mediate the power of the Holy Spirit to a select group of 'chosen' leaders.
Theology Proper / Christology
Introduces novel, non-biblical names for Christ ('Son Ahman', 'Alphus', 'Omegus') that reflect 19th-century esoteric linguistic inventions rather than biblical revelation.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Endow / Endowment"
In This Text
A specific outpouring of spiritual power and ritualistic knowledge contingent upon the completion of a physical temple.
In Evangelicalism
The giving of the Holy Spirit to all believers at the moment of salvation, empowering them for witness and sanctification, independent of physical buildings.
"Apostles"
In This Text
A restored, ongoing priesthood office within the Mormon hierarchy who require a specific 'school' and temple to be prepared.
In Evangelicalism
The foundational, unrepeated office held by the original twelve and Paul, who were eyewitnesses to the resurrected Christ (Ephesians 2:20).
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: In this specific text, spiritual survival and maintaining God's favor (avoiding 'darkness') is the primary focus, rather than final eternal life.
How Attained: Maintained through strict obedience to specific, burdensome commandments (building a temple) and enduring divine chastisement.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is entirely conditional. Believers can only have confidence if they are actively keeping the commandments; otherwise, the Father's love is withdrawn (v. 12).
Comparison to Sola Fide: This text stands in direct opposition to Sola Fide. Romans 4:4-5 teaches that to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. D&C 95 teaches that if one does not work (build the temple), they lose the Father's love and walk in darkness.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Call a solemn assembly (v. 7)
- Build a house [temple] (v. 8, 11)
- Tarry [wait for the endowment] (v. 9)
- Build the house not after the manner of the world (v. 13)
- Appoint and ordain three men to be shown the manner of the building (v. 14)
- Build the inner court 55 feet wide by 65 feet long (v. 15)
- Dedicate the lower part of the inner court for sacrament, preaching, fasting, praying, and offering desires (v. 16)
- Dedicate the higher part of the inner court for the school of the apostles (v. 17)
Implicit Obligations
- Repent of the 'grievous sin' of delaying the temple construction
- Cease contentions within the school of the prophets
- Submit to the architectural and spiritual authority of Joseph Smith and the appointed leaders
Ritual Requirements
- Fasting (v. 7, 16)
- Mourning (v. 7)
- Sacrament offering (v. 16)
- Offering up of most holy desires (v. 16)
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- When you read verse 12, how does it make you feel to know that the Father's love might not continue with you if you fall short of keeping His commandments?
- In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit was poured out on believers in a regular house (Acts 2). Why do you think D&C 95 requires a specific 55x65 foot building to receive God's power?
- How do you balance the warning in verse 12 with the Apostle Paul's promise in Romans 8 that nothing can separate us from the love of God?
- Have you ever felt like you were 'walking in darkness' because you couldn't perfectly keep all the commandments?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The desire for 'power from on high'
The text rightly identifies a human need for divine power and transformation. This deep longing for the Holy Spirit can be bridged to the Gospel truth that God freely gives this exact power to all who simply believe in Jesus, without the prerequisite of building temples or achieving perfection.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The believer is placed under immense pressure to perform (in this historical case, sacrificing extreme time and resources to build a building) under the threat that failure constitutes a 'very grievous sin.' This creates a constant treadmill of works to maintain spiritual standing.
Verse 12 explicitly threatens the withdrawal of God the Father's love. This instills a deep-seated fear that God's affection is fragile and easily lost, preventing the believer from ever experiencing true peace or assurance of salvation.
By tying spiritual power to a specific building controlled by the church hierarchy, the believer is made entirely dependent on the institution for their spiritual progression, rather than having direct, unmediated access to God through Christ.